Stories – Health Care for All New Yorkhttp://hcfany.org
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:49:07 +0000 en-US
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1 The ACA is Working: Epifanio’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-epifanios-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-epifanios-story/#respondFri, 24 Apr 2015 19:51:04 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=10444Enrolled in: MedicaidFinal premium: $0Before the ACA,it would have taken Epifanio a long time to get approved for Medicaid.Now, Epifanio is approved in minutes online.

Epifanio, originally from the Dominican Republic, and his wife live in Queens. Epifanio works several jobs, but recently lost one of them, making it more difficult to afford basic things like rent, utilities, and health services. Epifanio really needed to see a doctor, but was uninsured. When he heard that Make the Road New York offers free in-person enrollment services, he made an appointment. The Navigator there found out that his wife had already created an account on the NYSOH website, so all the Navigator had to do was add Epifanio to that account. He was immediately approved for Medicaid. Epifanio was surprised by how quick and easy the process was, and is so happy that he can now see a doctor whenever he needs to.

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-epifanios-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Joanne’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-joannes-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-joannes-story/#respondFri, 24 Apr 2015 10:00:38 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9659For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Age: 42Enrolled in: MedicaidFinal premium: FreeBefore the ACA, Joanne thought she would have to break the bank to afford her son’s life-saving medical care.Now, Joanne can get care for her son and the rest of her family, with money to spare for other essentials.

Last year, Joanne was distraught: her son had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that requires frequent care. To make matters worse, she had just lost her job. She had no idea how she would be able to afford the $1,200 COBRA payments and the rest of her living expenses. Going without care was not an option. She met with a Navigator at the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island and, to her surprise, her whole family was eligible for Medicaid. “Lucky for me, I met with Kelly [the Navigator] and now no longer have to worry about how to pay for health insurance coverage. I can use the money that I was going to scrape together for the health insurance to meet other living expenses.” What’s more, her son’s life-saving medical services are now covered.

“The tears started when I realized I would not have to figure out how to pay to keep my family insured, because I was eligible for free insurance.”

Twelve-year-old Saratoga county resident, Sam, has severe asthma, which requires many health services. His mother and father both work, but their companies’ health insurance only covered dependents at a great cost, $10,000 a year, in addition to high out-of-pocket payments. This was a huge burden on the family, but they made do. Elizabeth, Sam’s mother, especially understands the importance of having insurance because she is a respiratory therapist, “As a health professional I know how important health coverage is in getting the health care you need – especially for kids. Every day I see kids and adults who don’t get the health care they need. Their conditions get more serious. This is a difficult thing to see, especially when kids don’t have insurance and don’t get good care.”

When Sam’s father was laid off, the only silver lining was that Sam was now eligible for Child Health Plus (CHP), New York State’s version of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHP premiums are based on income, so now Sam’s parents only pay $60 a month for health insurance that is even better than their old plan. CHP covers all preventive care as well as many specialized services specific to children’s needs, such as occupational and speech therapies. Elizabeth is so pleased that CHP is available to families like hers, who work at companies that don’t offer affordable dependent coverage. CHP made treating Sam’s asthma affordable. Elizabeth says, “I want kids to have the quality of care they are entitled to. People shouldn’t have to choose between having food, clothing, and health care.”

“I want kids to have the quality of care they are entitled to. People shouldn’t have to choose between having food, clothing, and health care.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/chip-works-sams-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Carlos’ Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-carlos-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-carlos-story/#respondWed, 10 Dec 2014 13:00:47 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9722For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Age: 37Enrolled in: MedicaidFinal premium: FreeBefore the ACA, affordable healthcare to cover Carlos’ prescriptions was beyond his reach.Now, Carlos can get the medication he needs to stay healthy—for free.

Carlos, who experiences chronic sinus infections, struggled to find affordable health insurance. When he lost his job, his unemployment benefits put him barely over the Medicaid limit, so he could not afford to see a doctor or get the prescriptions he needed. When the Marketplace opened he went to see a Navigator at Make the Road New York to learn about his options. The Navigator shared the good news: because of Medicaid expansion under the ACA, he is now eligible for free public coverage. Carlos was grateful for the Navigator’s help because English isn’t his first language and he isn’t confident using a computer. “I was afraid of the new system,” he said, but “the application process was very easy and also easy to understand.” Now, Carlos can see a doctor for free whenever he has sinus problems and get the prescriptions he needs.

“I was never able to get health insurance before and I just got it through the Marketplace…I’m very happy because finally I can get treatment.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-carlos-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Bernard Tschumi Architects’ Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-bernard-tschumi-architects-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-bernard-tschumi-architects-story/#respondWed, 10 Dec 2014 13:00:44 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9652For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Before the ACA, Benard Tschumi Architects struggled to provide affordable health insurance options for its employees under mounting costs.Now, employees can choose a plan that meets their needs, while the company and its staff save thousands a year.

Benard Tschumi Architects had been offering health insurance to employees of its small firm for over 20 years, but each year it was becoming less affordable for everyone. The firm eventually capped the amount employees would owe for their premiums, but costs continued to rise with no end in sight. “At that point, I began to think…maybe [the ACA] would make it affordable for our employees to get the health care they needed,” said Kate Linker, Human Resources Director for the company. Kate got help from a Navigator at the Community Service Society to sign up through the Small Business Marketplace. The new insurance option is saving the firm nearly $30,000 a year, while putting almost $1,200 annually back into the pockets of its employees. Better yet, each employee can select the specific plan that best suits their needs.

“We’re saving $30,000 a year by doing something that is so much better for everyone.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-bernard-tschumi-architects-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Samantha’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-samanthas-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-samanthas-story/#respondTue, 09 Dec 2014 11:00:42 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9736For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Enrolled in: MedicaidFinal premium: FreeBefore the ACA, Samantha had to travel over an hour to get care she urgently needed.Now, she can get affordable care, close to home.

Samantha from Watkins Glen struggles with severe anxiety. She and her family had good insurance through Veterans Affairs (VA), but the VA hospital was over an hour from home. Driving long distances can trigger Samantha’s anxiety attacks and so she hoped to find a closer option through the Marketplace. With help from a Navigator at S2AY Rural Health Network, Samantha enrolled her family in Medicaid with providers much closer to home. Now, Samantha can get the health care services she needs without compromising her health.

“[I am] relieved to have health insurance when needed for emergencies, health checkups, etc., and I won’t have anxiety attacks because I won’t have to drive so far.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-samanthas-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Julia’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-julias-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-julias-story/#respondTue, 09 Dec 2014 11:00:38 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9731For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Age: 31Enrolled in: MedicaidFinal premium: FreeBefore the ACA, Julia was fighting cancer with no way to pay for the care she needed.Now, she is in remission and working on staying there, thanks to getting covered.

Julia was set to lose her health coverage right when she needed it most. At 30, she was diagnosed with leukemia and undergoing bone marrow surgery. She needed ongoing treatment. But her Healthy New York plan would no longer be offering coverage in 2014. Julia had put her professional dancing career on hold to take care of her illness, and she worried about how to pay for the expensive cancer care she needed. To learn about her options, she turned to a Navigator at the Community Service Society and found she was eligible to enroll in Medicaid. A year later, she is in remission, dancing again, and thinking of the future. For the first time, she has dental coverage, too!

“If I didn’t have health insurance I would have either died of cancer or I would have survived and be absolutely crippled with the medical bills.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-julias-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Mary’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-marys-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-marys-story/#respondTue, 09 Dec 2014 11:00:20 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9680For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet: The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Age: Mid-TwentiesEnrolled in: Qualified Health Plan (QHP), with financial assistanceFinal premium: $156Before the ACA, Mary was without job-based insurance and couldn’t afford to get covered.Now, she can continue freelancing with the security of her own health insurance plan.

Mary Bartlett became uninsured four years ago, when she first aged off of her parents’ insurance plan, and then transitioned from a job with health benefits. Payments for COBRA coverage through her prior job were just too high. Mary is in her 20s, but she has to take medications that were costing her $500 a month out-of-pocket. That’s why she was so happy when the Marketplace launched. “I remember thinking, ‘Maybe it will be possible for somebody like me to have decent health insurance.’” She found a plan that only costs her $156 each month after her tax credit. For Mary, freelancing no longer means living without health coverage. Now, when she picks up her prescriptions, they’re free.

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-marys-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Gladys’ Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-gladys-story/
http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-gladys-story/#respondTue, 09 Dec 2014 11:00:18 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9767For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet:The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell their Stories of Getting Covered

Insured in: Employer-based insuranceBefore the ACA, Gladys had devastating medical bills and nowhere to turn.Now, her bills have been slashed by 90% and she can go back to working and taking care of her three children.

When Gladys, a single mother and NYC employee, collapsed from a stroke at her workplace, she was rushed unconscious to the hospital and immediately transferred to receive specialty treatment that saved her life. But when she returned home to recover, the bills started piling up. Gladys received medical bills for over $138,000 because she had been treated by doctors not covered by her insurance plan. Desperate, she turned to the Community Health Advocates (CHA) program in her community. Advocates helped Gladys access hospital financial assistance and negotiate her remaining bills to about $8,000. Gladys finally felt relief, “I was blessed with another chance at life and blessed with these people helping me.”

]]>http://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-gladys-story/feed/0The ACA is Working: Amanda’s Storyhttp://hcfany.org/stories/the-aca-is-working-amandas-story/
Tue, 09 Dec 2014 11:00:18 +0000http://hcfany.org/?post_type=story&p=9597For more stories about how the ACA is helping New Yorkers get covered, see our full booklet: The ACA is Working: New Yorkers Tell Their Stories of Getting Covered

Age: 29
Enrolled in: Qualified HealthPlan (QHP), with financialassistanceFinal premium: $135/monthBefore the ACA, Amanda had a career she loved, but without the security of affordable healthcare.Now, she has access to affordable, preventive care and peace of mind in case of an emergency.

Amanda overcame many obstacles to put herself through college and beauty school. She now works in a stylish Manhattan salon where she was offered health insurance that was too expensive and didn’t meet the affordability requirements of the ACA. At first, Amanda wondered if the ACA could really help her. “It seemed too good to be true,” she said. But Amanda decided to do her homework. She researched the plans and taught herself about how insurance works to make sure she knew exactly what she was getting. Amanda found she was eligible for subsidies, so her plan only costs her $135 a month. Amanda was surprised and relieved to finally have affordable health insurance, “It’s nice to have some support, to feel like I’m entitled to the same things as other people.”

“I think the chances of your success in life are infinitely greater if you have access to health care.”